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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Two years ago my daughter Steph, then aged 14, was bored during the July school holidays and asked if she could sew with my scraps. I joyfully handed her all my scrap pieces of fabric, showed her how to be careful with the rotary cutter, and how to use the sewing machine.

Quietly, and with much purpose and concentration, she leisurely pieced all day for more than a week, asking only for help when the "blocks" she had made could not be pieced together without a Y-seam. She really enjoyed the free-form piecing and whimsical construction.

"Holiday Mischief" by Steph July 2007

Steph pieced this top and I quilted it for her after repairing some seams that had almost no seam allowance.

It is puffy, the borders are wavy and the quilt edges curve in and out, some of the piecing leaves a lot to be desired, but to me this quilt is a masterpiece. It also reminds me of the improvised piecing often found in the quilts from Gee's Bend.

Gee’s Bend is a small rural and isolated community neatly tucked away in the curve in the Alabama River southwest of Selma, Alabama. The town’s women developed a distinctive, bold, and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional American (and African American) quilts, but with a geometric simplicity reminiscent of Amish quilts and modern art. They passed their quilting skills down through at least six generations to the present. Women with large families often made dozens upon dozens of quilts over the course of their lives.

The Gee's Bend Quilts are so inspiring, their simplicity in design and color again a really striking combination. Stephanie pieced her quilt without prior knowledge of the Gee's Bend or improvisational quilts. I too have tried to make a free form quilt but without much success. I am an inhibited quilter, preferring structure, pattern, and tidy workmanship with 1/4 inch seam allowances, but need to work on stepping outside of the square.

35 comments:

I am very familiar with the Gee's Bend quilters! My favorite quilts to make are scrappy, no rules, who cares! I think your daughter's quilt is fabulous and a real treasure. Good for you mom in encouraging her.

I love Steph's free-form piecing. I'll have to try that. As a teen I would not of attempted, much less accomplished,piecing a quilt. I am sure you inspire the whole family. Way to go Steph!! What a treasure.

Several years ago the USPS here made stamps honoring the Gee's Bend quilters and ever since then I have wanted to try a scrapy free form quilt like that....I am just learning now how to quilt and I think I am still stuck in the straight lines mode...once I get this zig zag quilt finished....that I am just starting today....I would love to do one just like Steph's....thanks so much for posting and reminding me of those wonderful quilters from Alabama!:)

It seems to me that you alreayd have your own style of improvisation. Sometimes you seem to start quilts without a definite plan in mind. Improvisation isn't just about random or free piecing. It is about breaking free from patterns, kits, and doing things because we think we should. But I believe that you still need to follow the basics and have good seam allowances, press well, trim, and watch your colour balance.

It's a wonderful quilt! Fun to just study it. :) Such a free uninhibited style to it. I love the Gee's bend quilts, but I find I'm unable to do that sort of piecing. The control freak in me won't allow me to just "wing it". I can't even do random color/fabric placement. When I do random..it's very carefully planned random. LOL ;) She does wonderful work..and I hope she continues. The apple didn't fall far from the tree..isn't that nice? :)

One of the highlights of my recent visit to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show was getting to meet and talk to 6 quilters from Gee's Bend. I've admired their work for so long! I just found out that they have some quilts on display at a local art gallery, so I have to head over there before Aug. 3. I have a picture of the Gee's Bend quilters, one of their quilts, and other quilts form the Sisters Quilt Show on my blog and on flickr (less pics on flickr). Feel free to take a peek.